Alaska Airlines, the seventh-largest carrier in the U.S. in terms of passenger traffic, said on Wednesday that it would end a decades-old tradition of handing out prayer cards with its in-flight meals.

The prayer cards, which the Seattle-based airline began offering in the 1970s after an executive spotted them on another airline, was allegedly intended to put passengers at ease, a spokeswoman said.

In the interest of full disclosure I have to say I’ve never flown Alaska Airlines. If I had and I received a prayer card with my meal, rest assured the prayer card and the meal would’ve been returned to the flight crew with an obscenity-laced admonishment.

9 Responses to God No Longer Alaska Airlines’ Co-Pilot

I flew Alaska a few years ago from LA to Seattle and I remember getting a prayer card. I crinkled it up and tossed it on the floor. I remember seeing lots of them crinkled up and tossed on the floor when we deplaned. It’s a bone-headed notion to subject passengers to Sunday Bible School when all we want is a safe, reliable flight from point A-to-B. Glad to see they’ve stopped the practice.

I’m very much surprised someone hasn’t brought a lawsuit against Alaska Airlines by now over the God cards.

If they began handing the cards out in the 1970’s, this means millions of passengers were subjected to the text. Surely, a lawyer was confronted by one of the things? Alaska Airlines has been very lucky they weren’t sued by now.

Alaska Airlines has a lot of nerve placing Christian prayer card on meal trays. What if the passenger is Jewish? Muslim? Hindu? Or, just doesn’t want to be bothered with such crap while they fly to their destination? I have never flown them either and after reading this, I doubt I ever would fly them.

I agree. If I boarded a carrier and once we reached 35,000 feet and the meal service started and the flight attendants handed out prayer cards, I wouldn’t feel comforted: I would think they knew we were going to crash. Not smart, Alaska. Not smart.

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